The Bleakest of futures
by Shiguya Retomasi
Summary: *Based on characters from Anomaly*. Mewtwo's death left more than a scar upon Mew, it destroyed a part of her heart. And in a moment of weakness, she threw away everything... but, in that short time... something sinister began. Dead
1. Weakness

_Italicized_ words are thoughts

is telepathic speech

**The bleakest of futures**

**Prologue**

_Things are not the same, not after that day… I still can't close my eyes without seeing his face, those normally emotionless features twisted in pain. We should have been more careful, should have been better prepared… maybe then, Mewtwo would still be alive. _I knew that moping wouldn't bring him back, but… I still couldn't face Eve, not after just dumping her at my summer home and vanishing without really saying goodbye. At least she didn't question it much, probably due to the shock of finding out her brother, the one who had always seemed invincible, was dead…I know a part of me died that day.

The water below me rippled below as I hovered inches above, watching a small flock of Pidgey swoop in and out of a large pecha tree. It was a beautiful day, just like the past weeks have been at the sevii islands. I've been living out of here ever since that day, not even bothering to change my form and disguise myself; there was no point. The Rockets had given up chasing me, now that Mewtwo was dead and in their hands. They could simply make more from his DNA; I was obsolete in their eyes.

Even in his death, Mewtwo had left his mark upon the land; his underground dwelling had remained as a silent monument to the great power that once walked the earth. Now, it stood empty, abandoned by all but me. It served me well: both as shelter from the cool nights, and as a place to let my emotions flow outward; the sobs, shouts and curses at whatever cruel being controlled fate, heard only by the cold stone walls around me.

I really should have kept Eve with me, if only to have someone to lean on… but, I couldn't let her see me in this state. She needed someone to look up to, not just a sister who couldn't go a single day without breaking into tears, or trying to avoid even looking at her. If anything, I would have looked to her for comfort, her naïve outlook on the world and optimism are something I could never imitate…for being a legend, and I'm just as weak as the lowliest Rattata inside. I couldn't even face the last living relative I still have without seeing his face…that look of defiance burning in his dark eyes.

"All I ask is why? Why couldn't I have been just a bit faster… why did he have to be the one to die? I've lived a long life, longer than any other Pokèmon could even hope to… and for what? To watch as so many others had families to play with? To stand by idly as death took its toll on them all, calling them to the afterlife while I remained?" _And why… why did my first real chance at having that… why did Mewtwo have to be taken away from me?_

It's been four weeks since I left the tree of beginnings, and even now I can hear that telepathic voice begging me to return. Maybe… it's time to let go of the past and embrace the present. I still have Eve, my sister; someone who needs me just as much as I need her now. But, letting go is harder than just going back, making a few apologies and just going on…I'll never forget him, my first real brother. I just wish… the last time we had talked was another argument…

#

Rather than risk further exposure to humans, and to avoid simply turning around and going back I teleported to the tree in a series of jumps. It's hard enough to teleport over large distances, but when your mind refuses to bring up an accurate picture of where you're going you can end up in some of the strangest places. _Reminds me of the time I appeared in the middle of an office building instead of above it; standard memory mod took care of the problem, but it still was embarrassing._ I almost smiled at the image of those humans staring blankly before I erased the last minute of their memory… almost.

The tree itself was bare, mostly as I didn't see any reason to decorate it and attract unwanted attention; barren rock and plants suddenly being joined by whatever human furniture and other things I picked up would be suspicious. Getting the power cables set and tapping into a local power station was a pain, but well worth it. _I wonder what Eve ended up watching; as there isn't much else to do besides practice techniques up there… I really shouldn't have been so harsh to her, but… _After a short pause to rest and compose myself, I made the final jump; popping in a couple feet from the entrance to my 'home'.

Hey Kiddo, I'm back. Besides the golems that served as a nice security force, it was just the two of us this high up, so being overheard wasn't an issue. No response met me, though it wasn't surprising. Eve was either asleep, off doing something else, or still mad at me for just leaving like that.

Look, I know there's no excuse for me running off like that, but maybe we can at least sit down and talk this out reasonably? Still no response, not even the mindless drone of the TV.

Eve? Something didn't seem right… even if she was mad, Eve usually makes herself known. Something wasn't right, but I couldn't place a paw on it.

"I know you're mad, but please at least say something." I drifted through the back entryway, my tail and shoulders hanging limply both from weariness, and an attempt at submission_. I probably look like someone's stored marionette._ The kitchen was empty, but judging by the empty wrappers and fresh scent of sliced sitrus, Eve was at least still here.

Besides a few plates and some trash, it looked just like I had left it… as if it had been lived in only for the barest needs. It was home, yet didn't really feel like it… the walls were so devoid of emotion, the silence maddening. Even the TV was off… was Eve just asleep? Or sulking somewhere else? Something wasn't right about this… but, I just couldn't place a paw on it.

"Come on Eve, this isn't funny. I know you're probably really mad at me, and you have a right to be. But…" My voice gave out, I just couldn't force the words racing through my mind to pass my lips… they hung on my tongue, burning like a piece of durin berry.

I'm sorry… Mewtwo's death hurt me in a way no one could ever understand, but that didn't give me the right to wrench you away from the only life outside of enslavement you've known, and just abandon you. So please, will you at least acknowledge my existence? I waited, suspended by nothing more than a broken will, hoping to hear even a soft growl; something to let me know she was at least listening. But, only silence met my ears and mind.

_Why is it that no matter what I do, someone always ends up hurt in the end?_ _And for that matter, why does everyone end up angry with me? Is it too much to ask for just one other who won't die or end up wanting me gone? _I sighed, forcing myself to smile and drifting into the living room; hoping to catch sight of that all too familiar magenta hair, or a purple tail.

"Please, just hear me out…" My voice trailed off as I noticed just how clean everything was. No wrappers on the floor, the couch cushions were arranged the same as I had left them; even the remote didn't look disturbed. It was like… the room had been frozen in time, undisturbed even though someone had been living here for weeks.

The only sign anyone had been here was Eve's blue patchwork quilt folded across one arm of the couch, which would explain the neat cushions. At least if it was here, she hadn't run off; _not much of a comfort though, as maybe it would be better if she had_… I shook my head a few times, forcing that thought out; Eve was family, the only one I had left. Sure, I've been a pretty lousy sister… and brother to her, but I need her… and in a way, she still needs me. There's no time for doubt, no room for my own self pity; it's just us against a very cruel world now.

That didn't help my current problem though. _Hmm, if I were both angry at myself and too smart to simply run away, where would I go in the tree? _Not really a hard question, as besides a maze of tunnels there's only one other interesting place to spend time here. Which would also explain why things looked so tidy; she probably spent most of her time down there.

Rather than risk throwing up after yet another teleport, I headed back outside; hoping to remember which tunnels were the fastest… _I really should make a map of this place_.

#

After getting lost twice, having to call the guard golems for directions, yelling at no one in particular out of frustration, and getting lost again, I finally found the central chamber. _Yep, definitely making that map… maybe Eve and I could do it together? _The thought of us trekking through the tunnels, sketching out paths and probably getting lost for a few days at a time made me smile faintly. _It could be an adventure, even a good bonding experience for us… that is, if she'll even speak to me after what I did…_

I stopped to rest in a side tunnel, making sure not to venture very far in; getting lost a third time wasn't appealing. Something wasn't right, but, again… I couldn't place a paw on what. Various chirps, growls and other sounds of activity drifted into the tunnel from the main chamber, so it couldn't be that. And with so many Pokèmon in one area, pinpointing Eve was impossible, even though she was one of the few psychics here. It's like listening for a single voice in a crowded room; a hundred voices all blending together, removing the individuality of each one. Not to mention I was still weary from traveling, which made focusing difficult.

To make matters worse, most of the inhabitants were riled up about something… pretty bad, though the mass of voices was far too garbled to make anything specific out. It didn't surprise me that much; most of the time it's less than calm around the lake, especially during the migration season…

Rather than enter the chaos just yet, I set down and leaned against a small boulder; letting my weary body rest against the cool stone. _Cold as it is, I'm home… no more moping around his old home, no more feeling sorry for myself; it's time to rebuild. _Though, a bit more rest comes first; just a few minutes to let my body and mind recover. _And some time to come up with a good apology. _

The mass of voices fell away as sleep began to tease my weary mind, leaving me in a trance between reality and dreams. A veritable twilight, where anything could be real or a fantasy… flashes of current and old events blending together, creating a maddening storm of thought.

The shadows at the edge of my vision began to dance around me, eerie shapes devoid of form, yet hauntingly sinister; shapes forming and dissolving in my minds eye, as if controlled by an unseen master. Nothing made sense… even time began to move backward and forward, much like a child playing with his fathers pocket watch; events moving forward, only to blur and become something completely different. Only one thing was constant… one memory that weighed me down; Eve crying out, begging me not to leave. _How could I have been so selfish… she needed me, and what did I do? I ran away… I turned my back on someone in need and licked my own wounds… _Funny how things come full circle; I turn my back on Eve when she needed someone close, and here I am now, sinking further into my own mire of self pity just because she's doing the same thing I did to her.

I mewed softly, too weak to try and verbalize my sorrow. _Things never really turn out how you want them in the end; it's just a fact of life. Mewtwo was my first shot at family, and yet when he pushed me away I just went with it. Maybe… maybe if I had tried harder, he would have come around… maybe, if I had been a better sibling, he wouldn't have died. _

I raised a paw, trying to gather the will to slap myself for such thoughts. _Mewtwo is dead; nothing is going to change that. But, Eve is still here… and, unless I blew it again, I still have a sister to turn to. Someone who knows at least some, if not most of the pain his death caused. _With a heavy sigh, I forced my still tired body up; using the boulder as a brace to gain my balance.

"Enough pity, it's time to move on with my life." I knew nobody was listening, but hearing my own voice made the words stick better in my mind.

I was unwilling to trust my mental strength at this point, so rather than risk winding up face down in the dirt, I dropped to all fours, and started off at a slow pace toward the central chamber.

#

The noise stopped when I rounded that final corner, leaving behind an eerie silence. All the Pokèmon were staring in my direction, a few of them trying to look smaller… _am I really that scary? Or had Eve been telling stories about me and my habits? _Either way, it was uncomfortable being stared at; I was just another normal Pokèmon, right?

"Has anyone seen a big gray Pokèmon with long violet hair?" Stupid question really, as most of the Pokèmon looked ready to pass out from shock or fear, let alone answer me. There was a strange odor in the air, but with the combined scents of several hundred others of varying species, not to mention the normal scents of water, grass, that funny stink the crystals have along with a few others best not described, I couldn't identify it.

The only answer I got was more silence. _Just great, even the Pokèmon living here are afraid of me. Then again, this IS the first time I've been down here as myself. _The only movement aside from an uncomfortable shuffle was a pair of Eevee, tumbling and chasing each other nearby. Both were too wrapped up in their fun to notice the hush.

I stood up on my hind legs, trying to make myself look less threatening. An Espeon, probably the father of the two playing kits stood up, baring his teeth and moving to protect his young. _Am I really that scary? _

"Look, I'm not here to hurt any of you. I'm just looking for someone, that's all. Her name is Eve; she sometimes goes by Evetwo, but the shortened name is more common. She's about 6 feet tall, with gray fur and a purple tail. And, it may sound weird, but she has violet hair that goes down to her waist. Please, she's my sister…" I trailed off. it was pointless to bother; they weren't going to listen. With a sigh, I dropped back to all fours and turned around, wanting to be alone for a bit.

"I've seen her." I paused, twitching an ear. Someone had spoken, but the voice was so high pitched.

"Who said that?"

"She's really big, with bright red eyes like mama's, right?" _Like mama's…. Was it one of those kits talking? _I moved slowly, hoping not to startle the wary Espeon into attacking, and looked around. The larger of the two kits had obviously tried to approach me, but a fierce looking Umbreon was shielding it from me.

"Hush, you shouldn't talk to strangers so openly." I knew her voice; Zara, which would make the Espeon glaring at me Bill… weird name for a wild Pokèmon, but he's never really been clear about his past.

"I'm not a stranger, really." I took a step forward, but froze when the Umbreon hissed; _her temper is not something you want to test, I know firstpaw. _

"I've never seen you around, and I've spent most of my life here." Why do I always get stuck with the stubborn ones? _I swear, someone is out to get me…_

"Mama, please; she doesn't look dangerous. Besides, I really did see the big kitty, don't you remember?" _Big kitty… I'll have to remember that one. _The Eevee squirmed out of his, once I got a better look, mother's grip and walked up close enough to touch. I stayed still, as any motion could easily be seen as a threat by the overzealous Eon's nearby.

"She was really nice, that's why I remember her. Well, and she did look really funny." The Kit giggled, looking back at his sibling before continuing. "Kero wouldn't get too close, but she's just a big baby about trying new things. It's really sad that she had to leave so suddenly, though. She promised to tell me a story today." _She was gone? That… doesn't sound like Eve to run off and leave someone hanging like that. _

"Did she say anything about where she was going?"

"No, she just hasn't been around for a few days, not since-" Zara growled softly, trying her best to shush him. _Since what? No humans make it this far, the golems make sure of that. And as far as I know, the Pokèmon living here are usually peaceful, so what could have happened?_

"Go over with your father, I need to talk alone with whoever this is."

"But mama-" The mother Umbreon gave her son a stern look, motioning with a paw toward his sibling and father. "Yes, mama." His ears drooped a bit, giving me one last look before walking slowly toward where he was told to go. Normally, I'd think she was being a bit harsh, but somehow, I knew there was a good reason behind not wanting her child to hear. Once the Eevee was out of earshot, Zara fixed me with a slightly warmer stare.

"I still don't trust you, but if you truly know Eve, then maybe you're not a threat." _Maybe I'm not a threat? She's twice my size, already acting like I've backed her into a corner and a type I can't do much against; what does she mean 'maybe I'm not a threat'? _Best not to push her further, as I've seen just how vicious she can be when angered.

"That's a start, I guess." I tried to smile, only managing to twitch the corner of my mouth. "My name's Mew, though I've been here before. Ever met a Vaporeon named Crescent?" Zara's eyes widened, fixing me with a stare that could only be described as terrified before regaining her composure.

"Never met one named Crescent, but I have heard of him. I take it you're more than meets the eye?" She shifted her weight uncomfortably, flicking an ear and watching me closely. _Great, just great; I really don't have time for this, but… _Rather than argue with her, which would take up a great deal of time and effort, as I've seen her and Bill go at it before, it would be better to just show her. I concentrated, trying to ignore the tingle as the transformation began taking effect.

Really, it's not something you quite get used to; the best thing I can equate it to is, it's like your body is suddenly made of clay, twisting and warping by some unseen hand. Add to that having to feel your insides changing around to match the species you're becoming, and the whole process can be quite disturbing. But, the versatility and freedom it grants me is worth a bit of nausea.

The entire transformation only takes a few seconds, though the disorientation can last longer. But, where once my normal… I guess you could say kitten body had been now sat Crescent, my alias. _Hmm… why did I choose a Vaporeon again? It's been so long, I guess this form just stuck over the years._

"A shape shifter…" Zara's stare was unblinking, a pair of red pools watching me with mixed look. _Okay, other than Team Rocket chasing me for God knows what reason, maybe I HAVE been in hiding too long._

"Yeah, I've been here even before you, Zara. Hell, I've been here for longer than I can even remember; time isn't the most forgiving thing, but it's also something you can't fight." I smiled faintly, trying to get her to loosen up a bit.

"Indeed it isn't." Her voice remained flat, if not a bit cold. "But, if you are truly Mew then I have some very bad news for you involving the one you seek." Zara shifted again, glancing back at her mate before staring at me again. _Bad news… don't tell me Eve pissed someone off and they drove her out, because if she did…_

"She's been captured by humans." My heart stopped for a moment, then began racing. _Humans…humans had found her!? How? _"They came here a few days ago in a small pack. A few others fought them, but were killed without mercy; my mate and I took the cowards road and hid, but only for the sake of our kits." Zara cast her gaze downward, trying not to look me in the eyes as she continued.

"Bill created a sound barrier so they wouldn't hear it… but, I did. The sounds of fighting; cries of pain, both human and Pokèmon as she fought desperately…and lost." _Eve… no, if I had been here we could have won… we could have driven them out and fled…_

"Eve …is she…" My voice gave out, unwilling to finish the question that burned on my tongue. Eve… my selfishness had claimed another life; someone so young in the world…

"No, they took her alive… I'm sorry for not doing more, but…" _Not doing more? You did nothing! You sat back as someone was attacked and wrenched away from here… you sat idly by as it happened… _I wanted to scream at her, attack her; something to justify the rage building within my chest… but, all I could do was sit there. _Eve…_

"They left something behind other than those who were killed." _Just something else for you to deny, something to cover up and pretend it never happened…_

"How do you face your children? How can you look at them, knowing what actually happened yet lying to them? You saw it, you saw Eve being taken, but you did nothing besides protect them…" A quiet growl rumbled from her throat, yet she kept her gaze downward.

"I'm a mother. The lives of my kits come before others. She was a stranger, someone who had only recently arrived here." She snapped her head up, fixing me with a harsh stare. "I'll do everything it takes to protect them, even let another innocent be harmed if it means they stay safe." _You…_

"How can you face them… how can you look into their eyes and tell them Eve is just gone for a little while, when in your heart you know the truth?" Zara's growl deepened, changing from a subtle warning to a threat.

"Do you think it is just that simple? Do you think I can just harden my heart and lie to my own children? Do you think I can simply go back to how things were, living as a happy family, while that dark cloud hangs over me? Every time I face them, I want to cry… I want to just tell them everything and beg for forgiveness… but, I can't."

"So, instead of telling them the truth and letting them grow, you keep them in the dark. How can you call yourself a mother?"

"What would you know, miss legend? The one who was taken, the one you call Eve was still a child; she may not have admitted it, but I could tell. From the carefree way you came in here, I doubt you know what it's like to care about another. Your Eve was hurting from the moment she set foot in here, someone close… a parent or sibling I don't know, but someone had abandoned her… and, I have a feeling it was you." Anger clawed at my heart, the desire to silence the Umbreon before me grew… but, she was right.

"I know more than you could ever guess… Eve was a sister to me, one that I chose to forget in a moment of weakness. Yes, I left her here; I didn't want Eve to see me like that." _I guess… we're both guilty of the same sin, denying things to keep those we care about safe._

"Then, from one caring Pokèmon to another, the last thing I can do to try and repent of my own guilt is show you what the humans dropped. But, do not let my kits know about it; in time, I will be the one to tell them what happened. Understand?" _I suppose she has the upper paw in this case, so it'd be best to just go with it._

"Fine."

"Follow me." She stood unceremoniously, rings pulsing a few times before settling into a soft glow. _I hate being pushed around like this, but it may be the only way to find Eve in time…_ I pushed that thought back, not daring to let my mind wander right now. Finding Eve is what matters right now, _I can let the self pity return once things are back to what passes for normal now._ Zara started walking a bit faster, forcing me to concentrate on my footing.

"When the humans had left, Bill kept our kits busy while I helped bury the dead and dispose of the human filth, though in a way... I still feel we should have given them a proper burial as well."

"You didn't… eat them, did you?" Zara stopped for a moment, turning and giving me a funny look. _Me and my big mouth…_

"Normally, meat is meat but, wherever those humans came from, their bodies reeked of something foul. None of us could place it, but we knew that they were tainted by something… evil. No, a couple of the psychics able to teleport moved them a few miles from here; what happened from there I do not know." She flashed a few teeth in a grin, chuckling darkly at my obvious disgust. _Note to self: never ask her, or any of the carnivores around here for dining tips. _

"Right…" Thankfully, Zara chose to shake her head slowly, laughing a bit louder before continuing forward. _I just need to grit my teeth and put up with it. This is the only way I'm going to find out what's going on._ I held back a growl, knowing full well that I was at the disadvantage in this situation.

Zara lead me up a narrow path, not bothering to see if I was even following. It wasn't terribly pleasant, as between the rough footing, and having a tail that was dead weight to me, I had a rough time keeping up with her brisk pace. Things didn't get much better when she started weaving in between a few large boulders, though it did force her to slow down to a reasonable pace. _I really should have gone back to my normal form… or I need to choose a better alias form, this is ridiculous._

"I don't know what compelled me to keep this around, but of all the objects the humans were carrying, it seemed the most important." I snapped out of my thoughts, looking up in time to see a small, black device hurled at me.

"I snuck it away while the disposal team was taking a batch of bodies out. And don't bother asking me what it is, as I have had no dealing with human inventions." The object in question was small, about the size of a wallet, only a bit thicker. Near what I assumed was the bottom of the device was a small, white button; large enough that a fair size candid could press it without much trouble. Other than that, it was smooth.

"Did any of the humans use it, or make mention of it during the fighting?" Zara sat down, looking first to the device, and then upward; rinds growing pale once again.

"Hmm… no, the only thing those humans were using or making mention of were the loud things they were attacking us with. Guns, I think one of them said. The only thing I remember clearly from the fight was shouting, along with a horrible crack combined with a really foul odor. Whatever those 'guns' were, they managed to put down some of the tree's finest defenders." The way Zara stayed so emotionless was bothering me, like having witnesses so many lives snuffed out meant little to her.

"How many were lost in the fighting?"

"Why would you care, Miss legend?" Her voice turned cold again, as if asking such a question awakened a sleeping hatred within her heart. _Isn't it natural to ask about the losses? After all, I do call this place home._ I winced inwardly as she fixed me with a piercing stare, though I managed to kept my composure calm.

"Because, unlike you, I plan on doing something about what those humans have done. I may have been a coward and a fool to leave my sister alone, but I will not leave her to rot wherever they have her. And, I plan on making sure they never do it again." _I plan on making sure each and every one of them pay for bringing harm to both my home, and my only semblance of a sibling left. _

"You have a family to worry about, someone who needs you near. While, despite how true it is that I abandoned my sister in a moment of weakness, I plan on doing anything it takes to get her back." The long dormant fire in my heart began to burn again, flickering as the despair and confusion fought to once again snuff it out. _No… I'm tired of running. For the first time in my life, I have something worth fighting for… someone worth putting everything on the line to help. Eve… I may have dumped you in a strange place, and abandoned you in a bout of self pity, but I will find you… I will find you..._The flame sputtered, fueled by the desire to see her again, to hear that same laughter ring out. Even… to finally be there for her, to be that warm shoulder to cry on, that warm presence on a cold night… like I should have from the beginning.

"Go back to your mate and kits, whatever this device is only concerns me now." I didn't bother waiting for a response, instead changing back to my normal form and walking toward the device.

"Please make sure to dispose if it when you leave; that is the last bit of evidence of the human invasion, and it would be best if all living her could simply forget it happened." I could feel her walk past me, but rather than look up, I sighed.

"Forgetting the past is the best way to ensure it happens again." _Yeah, I know quite a bit about that one from experience. _Zara didn't respond, so I turned my attention back to the device. _Now, if instinct serves me right, that button should activate it… better move it somewhere safe, though… it could be dangerous. That… and I don't want anyone overhearing it if this device does hold a message. _Fighting back the urge to throw up, I placed a paw on the device and teleported, hoping that it didn't detonate from the jarring.

#

_Ugh, that's it; I'm calling my travel agent and filing a complaint. _It took a minute for the world to stop spinning after that last teleport… not to mention my stomach was threatening to take my throat by storm. But, I wasn't covered in burns or gashes, and the device was intact, so it could have been worse.

"Now comes the fun part..." I stood up slowly, not daring to move quickly as the nausea was still lingering, and took another look at the device. _It could still be dangerous, but why would the humans be carrying an explosive, but never use it? Unless... someone intended it to be found. But, that would mean... _I shuddered inwardly, realizing that this place was known in legend to have been one of my homes. _That human... Sir Aaron knew, but that was centuries ago. But, I thought that knowledge died with him, and became just another one of their silly legends? _

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. 'Behind every legend is a truth', as one human said it._ I remember her all too well… she was possibly the brightest mind for her generation. Too bad that the males in her society thought human females were inferior… she could have gone far. _It still was a stretch to think someone would believe that I still resided here. The legend of us being bound has a bit of truth, but nothing like humans seemed to believe. _-sigh- now isn't the time to think about this… maybe after Eve's safe._

"Curiosity may have killed the cat, but I'm getting nowhere just reminiscing about the past." It was easy enough to press the button, though a part of me wanted to simply banish it without trying. I leapt back, hovering a few feet away when the device began to make a few strange sounds, instinctively creating a barrier between myself and it.

"If you are hearing this, then no doubt our little excursion was successful. We would have simply loved to meet the great Mew in person, but obviously you knew of the attack and chose to flee before we arrived." I growled softly, ignoring the way my fur was bristling at the sadistic tone.

"But, the team I have assembled does not fail so easily. We were well informed of what else could be there, and have captured a far more desirable prize…" The voice trailed off, followed by laughter that sent a chill down my spine. _If they harmed even one hair on her head… _I could feel my eyes watering, but the anger held them at bay.

"I know you would simply love to see her again, so I also took the liberty of leaving a small tracker with this message. I do hope you make the right decision, as I would adore meeting you…" Again, the voice laughed; a cold, mirthless laugh, one that could only be described as… evil. I wanted to scream, to shatter the device into a million pieces and send them down the speaker's throat… but, I knew it was pointless.

_They had Eve… I had abandoned her, and she was captured…_ I collapsed to the floor, unable to hold back the tears any longer. _Eve… I'm sorry… I've been a horrible sister… I treated you like a toy, something to be picked up for a while, and then put back in the box to keep it safe… and look what it did. I've lost her… that signal is a trap, I know it._

_What can I do? Go there and ask for her back? That's a laugh. 'Hi, I'm Mew; the rarest species by your definition. Can I have my sister back so we can go home?' I'd have a dozen master balls pelted at me the moment I set foot wherever she is… but, what choice do I have? I can't just leave her again… she's all I have, now that… _

What started as a few tears became a painful torrent as the pain of my brother… Mewtwo dying returned, clawing at my heart like a hungry beast. It hurt… I wanted it to end, to just move on and try to live on like I had with all the others… but, it haunted me. His memory, the ghost of the bitter, lost child clung to me like a shadow, never letting me escape my greatest failure… _what could become my second greatest failure…_

I wailed, letting the sorrow out in a burst of sound. It had no meaning, no purpose other than to express the raging emotions surging through my body… and, it only made things even worse.

"Eve… I will find you… I will rescue you… We'll be a family… I promise…" I picked myself up, rubbing a paw across my eyes to clear them, and glaring at the now silent device. _Whoever you are, you've gone too far… NOBODY threatens MY family so trivially and gets away with it! Nobody! _My heart was pounding, fueled by the rage surging through my veins. I didn't care what it took, Eve was going to come home, and I was going to start being the sister I should have years ago… _If she can forgive me…_

#


	2. Capture

A/N: before (that is if) anyone complains, this chapter was written by ShatteredSilence, as at one point this story was going to be a joint project. But, things came up and he had to drop back to being mainly a beta along with writing his own story (Requiem of time), so I figured it'd be nice to post the part he did, rather than just redo/edit it. So let's get this show rolling!

It was dark.

I was floating on a sea of blackness; immersed in a world in which time had no meaning. Silence covered me; the stillness of a world in which only you exist. I was just drifting, my body curled up around itself, caught in the black waves. Ebb and flow, rise and fall; the gentle swells lapped at my body, softly pushing me this way and that, yet taking me no where. It was neither nether cold nor warm; but somewhere in between, a temperature at which you forget yourself, and just exist.

Trying to move, I discovered that I had no feeling of my body; moving what I thought was my arm gave me no sensation, as far as I could tell it wasn't moving, or was it? I don't know... _Do I even have a body?_ I felt instinctively that I must. The sea around me seemed to rise, and I felt that thought slip away from me, receding into the dark halls of my mind.

Looking around, all I could see was darkness so profound, that it defied all senses. This was darkness so complete that any light, no matter how dim, would have shined through. It was like a night that had always existed, and would never end.

_How long have I been here?_ I can't recall arriving, or leaving somewhere else. _Perhaps I've always been here? But, then what are these other memories I have._ Vivid bursts of colour; intense in there brilliance; from a reality which was the complete opposite of my own. Attempting to bring these memories to bear was like clutching at a beam of light. Reaching out, I caught... nothing; and where they had been, no trace but a few motes of light, vanishing under the black tide.

Drifting, I was in a state somewhere between sleep and waking; a point where the mind is a calm lake, where thoughts skip along like stones flung from the shore, sending ripples out from each skip, until they come to rest, sinking to be claimed by the darkness around me. Then, the waters return to their previous calm; as if they were never disturbed in the first place. In my case, these stones seemed alien to me; thoughts that couldn't be my own, actions I would never willingly take, words I would never speak. It was so confusing.

I kept getting glimpses of images that I had no recollection of, like scenes from someone else's memory. Faces set in a grotesque parody of life. Each time one would appear, it would then be swept under by a swell of darkness.

"Whose are these memories that I see, yet don't know?" I asked the halls of my mind. The only answer I received was my own voice, echoing mockingly.

Faces... Faces I knew... And the most frequent was eerily familiar. Pale grey fur, set against long, violet hair. A face set in shock and sadness." Who are you?" The face faded, swept under by a dark wave.

Each time it appeared something stirred the waters, ripples of memory churning the still waters, trying to break through the glassy calm in a torrent...only to descend as the blackness swallowed me once again.

It occurred to me that I had been here for a long time... Or had it only been 5 minutes. I couldn't tell. The sea was ever changing, yet always the same._ Perhaps I have always been here... But then what were these memories?_ They were so vivid, so real; like events from just a few hours before.

_Why was it so hard to focus?_ I tried to gather my wayward thoughts, but the sea once again rose, and scattered them again.

The face appeared again, but this time there was another memory attached to it. Her eyes were filled with wonder, as they stared at a silvery orb set in the sky. _Wait... her? _

"No! Come back" I cried, as the face was swept under once again.

Time passed... I think... I can't tell. I was drifting, not really thinking on anything, as another memory arose. This time, the same face was there, but she was crying. I was there, trying to comfort her. I began to say something, as the darkness swelled once again. I tried to hold it back, but it was so big, and I'm too small. As the memory receded, drowned in the tide of darkness, I caught one word. "Eve".

Eve? Was that her name? It sounded familiar, like something important I had forgotten...

_These memories...Where they mine?_

Suddenly, the sea flickered, and then it was gone. Gravity tugged at my body, a force that hadn't existed before. I was falling, faster and faster. I couldn't see anything around me, no ground beneath me. My mind was racing; suddenly, I had no trouble controlling my thoughts.

I opened my eyes, with what seemed a strangely huge effort, to find myself in a harshly lit world. My eyes, unused to the light, took a while to pick out my surroundings. I was lying on my back, staring at a white ceiling, in which was set a series of powerful lights, and several video cameras. I tried to move, but my body refused to co-operate. I was finding it difficult to breathe, until I realised that there was something digging into the skin around my throat. _Huh?_ I tried to move my head to the side, only to find the movement hindered.

I couldn't move my body._ What is going on here?_

With growing horror, it dawned on me that I was tied down. Thrashing around, I tried to move, but was unable. Judging by the sensations in my arms, legs, and tail; I was tied down by the wrists, ankles, and half way down my tail. Along with the tie across my throat, it made anything but the slightest movement impossible.

I lay there panting, thoughts racing. _How did this happen? _I... I can't remember. My memory, usually so sharp, seems hazy. I can remember back to the tree, and searching for Eve... But, after that, my memory fades out, and I am left with fleeting images... A brown furred face, eyes filled with wonder, "Mama" on his lips... Eve, face set in shock, her normally finely kept hair in disarray... A cold, cruel laugh... Then, darkness, until I just woke up...

Gathering my psychic powers, I prepared to remove the bonds chaining me, and to exact a fitting punishment on the persons responsible. At least, that's what I tried to do.

When I attempted to draw my powers to me, a wave of weakness swept over me. I was tired... so tired. This went beyond a simple tiredness; my body was completely drained of energy. I had barely enough to keep me conscious.

_What happened to me?_ A sharp pain in my side interrupted my train of thought. It felt as if something had been stabbed into me. As this happened, I heard a sinisterly cold voice from somewhere behind me.

"Ahh, our _guest_ has awoken" It said, with what I was sure would be a smirk.

I tried to snarl back at him, but the only noise I could make was a pathetic mewling whimper.

"It's nice to see you feeling so... docile" The cold voice said, as I felt a hand roughly rub across my head, in what was a gross imitation of petting. I wanted to cringe back in revulsion; the very feeling of his skin touching my fur making me want to throw up. I caught a glimpse of the hand as he stopped, obviously bored of the torment.

White cufflinks, under a black and yellow ringed coat. Brown furred cufflinks. An obviously expensive gold watch, and a single golden ring surmounted by a large red gem. Feeling sickened, I realised it was from an Espeon. The hand was pale, as if its owner had not seen much sun in a long time; its nails perfect, palm devoid of any calluses. This was a man who had never done any work himself, and judging by his tone, he was used to power.

"I feel I must thank you for the kind donation of your blood to our efforts. It is a noble sacrifice" He said with a cruel high laugh.

_My blood... What?!_ The sharp pain returned, and this time I knew exactly what was happening. My vision began to swim, as the humans drew more of my blood for whatever sadistic purposes they had planned. I struggled desperately against the bonds, but the weakness rose again, and I could do nothing. Exhausted, I lay staring up at the ceiling as the needle was withdrawn.

"I think I'll let you dwell on your situation now. Pleasant dreams" With a short laugh, I heard his footsteps recede.

With that, the harsh lights cut, and I was left bathed in a pale florescent red. As my body cried out at the torment it was being forced to endure, I felt my consciousness fading. I slipped out of this harsh reality, and into the dark, coldness, of unconsciousness.

When I next awoke, I was tied down in the same nightmarish hell. I began to realise why I was feeling so weak. My body was being subjected to have to constantly rejuvenate the blood I was losing from the repeated intrusions of the humans. The toll it was taking on me was appalling. The humans had set up some sort of I.V, running into my arm, as it was plain that they didn't want to feed me. Lack of proper nourishment, and constant blood loss, has left me on the verge of going into a coma. _Perhaps this is there plan? Reduce me to the state, where I would never be able to do anything to escape._

With this thought, I once again tried to gather my psychic energy. This time, I managed to pull enough energy to form a small psychic attack. It was at this point that I discovered that the humans were using more than just blood loss and bonds to control me. The shock of 10 000 volts running though every part of my body was enough to tear a whimpering "Meeeeew" from my throat. _Scratch that plan._

As the day progressed, I wandered in and out of consciousness, my periods of lucidity vivid in their detail, but blessedly short. I began to become delirious from the blood loss, my waking moments hazy and unclear in their details, until I would retreat into the blessed darkness of unconsciousness.

As the days passed, I sank into a black despair. I even once thought of ending the torment myself; of calling upon my body to stop its healing process. Strangely, the thought disappeared before I could even consider it.

Days became weeks, and I realised that I was trapped in a hell, with no escape of my own. I would be tied here, to be used at the human's leisure, until I ether fell into a coma that I would never wake from, or he had no further use for me; at which point I would be discarded, like a broken toy.

All I could do was examine what memories I could recall, and try and piece together what happened. Before waking up here... everything is shrouded in a black gloom, through which my minds eye cannot pierce.

More and more I found myself returning to thinking about Eve. _What has happened to her?_ _Damn these hazy memories of mine! I should never have left her on her own like that... maybe this wouldn't have happened if I hadn't. How could I have been so self absorbed, as to miss what was happening around me?_ Obviously something had happened at the tree that had led me to my current predicament. How long ago that was, I wasn't sure; some months I was thinking, judging by the size of the gap in my memory.

As I was thinking about her, I felt the bond across my neck suddenly fall loose.

Opening my eyes, I saw a different human standing above me. Whereas the last man had been dressed regally, this man wore the plain clothing. His face was rugged, weather beaten. Here was a man who had been in the world. He was staring down at me; something glimmering in his eyes... was it pity? In his hands, was a bloodstained white leather strip, which he had just pulled off my throat.

Muttering to himself in a voice I could barely hear, he began to metholodically remove the ties binding me to the table. I couldn't understand any of his words, but by his tone of voice, and the strength he was putting into his actions, I could tell he was angry, no furious.

I tried to muster my voice, to ask him what he was doing, but all I had strength for was a soft, wailing "Meww". He glanced sharply at me at that point, only to turn back to his task.

Finally, the bounds where removed, and for the first time, I got a chance to see what had happened to me. My head spinning, I forced my self to sit up. Looking down, I was dismayed to see my body. A mass of scars, encrusted in dried blood, ran down my side; a testament to the torment I had been put through. It was enough to make me want to throw up, though I lacked the energy. Suddenly, I lacked the energy to even sit, and fell off the side of the table.

Next thing I knew, I was staring up into the mans face; lying cradled in his arms. His features now had a look of concern plastered across them. "we don't have much time. I have disabled the security system, but it will be reactivated fairly soon. Our only chance of escape is for you to transform into something inconspicuous. I have been known to carry an Abra around, which has distaste for pokeballs."

All that he said reached me in a flood, leaving me bewildered. Tired... I was soo tired...

"Mew.." I replied faintly, head drooping; my vision darkening at the corners.

"Please... You have to focus. This is our only chance of escape. Otherwise, you will be stuck here, forever" He pleaded, his eyes imploring me.

With a huge effort I pulled myself out of the haze of exhaustion, and focused my energy into a transform. As I was surrounded by a bright light, I felt consciousness slipping away from me.

A/N2: This story is going to take a while to update, as I haven't written anything beyond this... and I'm currently more into other projects. I'll try to keep it going at a reasonable pace, but no guarentees.


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